A theoretical study of nonlinear capacitance of mammalian out hair cell by a nontransporting five-state model

Abstract

Understanding the nonlinear capacitance (NLC) of prestin and outer hair cell (OHC) is important for exploring the activity of mammalian cochlea. After introducing a nontransporting five-state model of the OHC motor which is the tetramer of prestin, we obtain the peak of the NLC of OHC and the peak shift of the NLC as functions of the concentration of the intracellular Cl - anions. By employing the same model, we calculate the frequency dependence of the NLC as well. The model results both in equilibrium state and of the frequency dependence agree with the experimental observations. Accordingly, it suggests that the introduced five-state model is a candidate for exploring the NLC of both OHC and prestin. © 2012 World Scientific Publishing Company.